SUNDAY NATION February 16, 2014 STATE JOBS AND TENDERS TAKING STOCK | Numerous corruption allegations rock 10-month old Jubilee administration Graft claims rock Jubilee goverment CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 market. The chairman of Kenya Human Rights Commission, Prof Makau Mutua, described the deal as “lopsided and measly”. “This basic framework is lop- sided in favour of Fenxi Mining Group. It’s long in duration — 21 years. It allows Fenxi to sell the contracts to a third party, which is dangerous and expensive. The last nail on the coffin is the percent to be paid to government: between 22-23 per cent. That’s a measly sum,” he said. Furthermore, the Chinese company has no obligation to hire local labour, buy local materials from Kenya or subcontract Kenyan businesses. As part of the deal, the government is supposed to buy 11 per cent stake in Fenxi. Parliament is currently investigating the Sh5.5 billion tender ‘‘ awarded to China Jiangxi International-Kenya for infrastructure development at National Social Security Fund (NSSF) linked Tassia Estate in Embakasi. At the coast region, local leaders are against the exportation of 25,000 tonnes of titanium because the local communities will not benefit. According to Mr Kimeu, what is happening right now in the public procurement is just a continuation by those in government to steal public resources. “We never see the documents to determine the value for money yet the Constitution allows the freedom of information. The procurement regime in this country is being bastardised yet the laws were borrowed from international best practices,” said Mr Kimeu. Determining who is “eating” more than the other between TNA and URP may not be so obvious, according to Mr Githongo. But the side that makes the loudest noise to cause distraction usually feels left out of the feeding frenzy. “Though one doesn’t expect Determining who is eating more than the other may not be so obvious, but the side that makes the loudest noise to cause distraction usually feels left out...” Mr Githongo people to stand up and say ‘We are not eating enough’, it’s easier and safer for them to cause political problems and distractions as a way to expressing their unhappiness with regard to getting deals to rip off Kenyans,” said the anti-corruption crusader. In terms of appointments, busi- ness at the East African Portland Cement has been disrupted following the attempted ouster of chairman Mark Karbolo and replace him with former CMC LABAN WALLOGA | NATION A Chinese worker carries out a feasiblity study for the construction of the contraversial standard gauge railway at Macknon area on Monday. Despite protestations from various quarters, government has said the project must go on. boss Bill Lay. The change by President Kenyatta, which has been temporarily halted by the High Court, is suspected to be linked to efforts to sell the cement manufacturer to Nigerian billionare Aliko Dangote. On appointments, government has been accused of appointing only members of certain communities. The matter has been raised in Parliament, including last September after the appointment of Mr Joseph Kinyua as Chief of staff and head of public service. “It perpetuates the view that the President is surrounding himself with people of a particular community,” said Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo. But Majority Leader Aden Duale defended the appointment of the former long-serving Treasury Permanent Secretary to the new position Speaking to Sunday Nation yesterday, Mr Kimeu also raised concern. “It has been a concern for many Kenyans that our desire for cohesion and our need to have all the faces of Kenyans represented have not been achieved. There is a lot that still needs to be done to have the face of Kenya in all public appointments.” Last December President Kenyatta caused a storm when he appointed 26 people to chair various state corporations. Most of them were politicians linked to the Jubilee coalition who had been beaten in the elections and retired civil servants. The picking of Mr Francis Muthaura to head the multibillion-shilling Lapsset project particularly encountered opposition. The 2010 Constitution provides that all public appointments as well as allocation of public resources must consider gender and ethnic balance. However, Mr Githongo argues that the government has failed to observe this constitutional requirement. “That perception is there and when combined with perceptions with regard to corruption it poisons the politics along ethnic lines. This is also a growing problem that will manifest in different ways starting at the counties,” said Mr Githongo. But State House compared questions around the appointments to deep sea fishing by the media. “There is no issue there. The government has a right to make appointments and in any case the people being appointed are not from Mars. They are Kenyans,” said Mr Buku. National News 9